What is happening in Benalla? 

Food policy Advocacy 

• The North East Local Food Strategy 2018-2022:  A guide for all local governments to include sustainable food systems in their next 4 year plans https://gatewayhealth.org.au/images/brochures/NE_Local_Food_Strategy_2018_2022.pdf
• Open Food Network; Open Road Project: Launched a media release  'Australia Post Decision Opens the Way for a New Food Delivery Projectt. OFN will be running a project as a delivery service around North East Victoria to enable local producers to act independently. A Hume Highway loop is being established with food hubs in Strathbogie, Wangaratta Farmers Market, Beechworth Food Coop. EOI are open for any local producers, coops and retailers. Email openroad@openfoodnetwork.org.au

 
Support Local Food Activities

• Benalla Food Coop see website for upcoming dates Benalla Food Co-operative (bsfg.org.au)
• Grow Free food swap cart (was at Benalla Health) has just been moved to Cecily Court with the Tomorrow Today Foundation!  A great way to share excess produce with the community!
• Benalla Central Community Garden have applied for a Vic Health grant to host after school kitchen/garden sessions with children in Grade 5-8 at the community garden.
• Benalla Central Community Garden hosting garden open days https://www.facebook.com/Benalla-Central-Community-Garden-106810107405039/
• Benalla Health and St Vincent de Paul Society have applied for more grants to continue to build wicking garden beds for vulnerable community members. Rather than using apple crates (issues with leaking, unable to move, labour to build) we are looking at portable, smaller ones e.g. raised on wheels. If successful Benalla Men’s Shed will be constructing these. We are open to ideas on how to build these portable garden beds!
• Waminda Neighbourhood House have set up a drop in food pick up, in partnership with Second Bite. Running On Thursday mornings.
• Waminda Neighbourhood House has been granted funding to construct public garden beds for the community at the front of the house (Ballintine st). 
• Delivery of fruit and veg boxes- Fruits N Fare, Good Vibes Wholefoods Store- Balaji and Karthika
• Online platforms available to share excess food. Ripe Near me- an online platform to sell/give away free food. Web based platform https://www.ripenear.me/

 
Ideas for the future

• Beechworth Food Coop hosted a Patch to Patch event (18th April 2021) where people could visit open gardens and orchards. This is a day of backyard garden inspirations. Perhaps we could run one similar to this in Benalla in 2021/2022? Could involve Waminda, Benalla Central Community Garden. Benalla Community Health staff garden, Waller St Garden and other private gardens around Benalla?  PATCH TO PATCH - Beechworth Food Co-op (beechworthfoodcoop.org.au)
• Buy from North East Victoria (Buy From Benalla) online platform for small and medium local businesses has been given more grant money to continue to build online markets. https://www.buyfrombenalla.com.au
• NEW: Acres and Acres is a community market garden that has started in Corryong. https://acresandacres.com.au/ The mission is to create a network of  Market Gardens across the Upper Murray and North East Victoria, to build resilience through the production of fresh produce across the local area.

Kathryn McQualter
Convenor - Benalla Local Food Network Action Group

Links:
Benalla Local Food Network - Minutes of Meeting held May 5 2021
​Australia Post Decision Opens the Way to a New Food Delivery Model

Last year BSFG member Val Dunin presented on behalf of 'Benalla Grow Your Own' project at a BSFG general meeting.   It was wonderful to hear recently that  the 'Benalla Grow Your Own' project was  a joint winner of a 2017 Vic Health Award in the category 'Promoting Health Equity'.    

Benalla Grow Your Own – Engaging Disadvantaged Families with Wicking Garden Beds
St Vincent de Paul Society of Benalla, Benalla Health and Beechworth Corrections Centre.

"This project piloted the installation of wicking garden beds in the backyards of at-risk families, to support them to grow their own fruit and vegetables. It also aimed to improve community connectivity and increase people’s knowledge, confidence and skills to grow their own food.

Designed by prisoners at the nearby Beechworth Corrections Centre, the garden beds are raised with built-in reservoirs at the bottom. This type of garden bed was chosen for its water saving capabilities, and the cost of watering this type of garden is substantially less than a regular garden.

In total, 48 families (including 72 children) now have wicking garden beds. This has led to an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, spending more time outside and improved self-reported mental health"

Congratulations to Val (pictured here holding the award) and all involved in the 'Benalla Grow Your Own' project!